martial

adjective

1. 1

   Of, relating to, or suggestive of war; warlike.

   The captaine he, which climbes for high advaunce, / By piercing blade imbrude in enimies blood, / In martiall ſhewes who formoſt leades the daunce, [...]

   Sir, if I were to yeeld a reaſon of my preſent preſumption for thus boldly offering vnto your worſhipful view this little hyſtoricall Abridgemẽt of Martiall exploits, by ſundrye moſt famous warriours and renowmed Capitaines long ſince atchieued: [...]

   But peaceful Kings, o'r martial people ſet, / Each others poize and counter-ballance are.

   They [the Dutch] were, however, repelled by the valour of the Engliſh, and the matter is now under a civil deliberation, which makes it improper for a Martial Review.

2. 2

   Connected with or relating to armed forces or the profession of arms or military life.

   He was lying on the table with head pillowed on the broken concertina and body sheltered with the Federal Flag, looking like a martial corpse. He did not wake properly till Blossom dragged him to the tap outside and turned the water on him.

3. 3

   Characteristic of or befitting a warrior; having a military bearing; soldierly.

   With Marſhall ſtalke he paſſed through our watch.

   His Martial Valour Flanders will confeſs; / And France Regrets his Managing the Peace. / Faithful to England’s Intereſt and her King: / The greateſt Reaſon of our Murmuring.

   Ah!—each the pride of Iſrael's martial train, / Now breathleſs, on their native mountains ſlain!

   Thus near the bard were ſeen / Matrons and men, join'd with the breathleſs ſhades / Of martial heroes and unbearded boys, / And virgins chaſte, or youths beore the eyes / Of their ſad parents, on the pile conſum'd; [...]

4. 4

   obsoletePertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Mars.

   The Sun to the Quartile or Oppoſition of Mars. This Direction threatens the native with ſome martial Diſeaſe or Infirmity, as Fevers peſtilential, exceſs of Choler and Blood corrupted; it ſheweth danger by Fires, Wounds and Scalds, ill ſucceſs in Affairs, danger by Thieves and Robbers, ill having to do with martial Men, or to deal in martial Affairs; [...]

   A martial man is many times full-faced, with a lively, high colour, like sun-burnt, or like raw tanned leather; a fierce countenance, his eyes being sparkling or sharp and darting, and of yellow colour; his hair, both of head and beard, being reddish (but herein you must vary according to the sign).

   Venus was placed below Mars; that is, the sensual passion was subjected to martial ardour.

5. 5

   obsoleteOf or relating to the planet Mars; Martian.

   [R]ound about the plain / All hid with slaughter'd carcasses, yet still did hotly reign / The martial planet; [...]

   No naturalist can watch winter and summer come and go on the opposite hemispheres of the martial planet, without feeling that life must have come into being where all the machinery of life is in such perfect working.

6. 6

   obsoleteContaining, or relating to, iron (which was symbolically associated with the planet Mars by alchemists); chalybeate, ferric, ferrous.

   martial preparations martial flowers (a reddish crystalline salt of iron)

   This dephlogisticated martial vitriol, as M. [Torbern] Bergman calls it, is often found in nature, particularly in the ores of alum.

noun

1. 1

   obsoleteA soldier, a warrior.

   The martials (this is the name of my pirates) will pass in her eyes for an honest family of fishermen; I will go on your account, and make two or three visits to your young lady; I will order her certain potions, and at the end of eight days she will make acquaintance with the cemetery of Asnieres.

2. 2

   obsoleteA celestial object under the astrological influence of the planet Mars.

3. 3

   obsoleteSynonym of Martian (“inhabitant of the planet Mars”).

   The Martials, if there be Martials in any sense in which there are terrestrials on our own planet, may have no eyes at all; their whole civilisation, if they have say, may depend on senses of which we have absolutely no trace, [...]

Forms

plural

martials

comparative

more martial

superlative

most martial